Hard Times
by Katie Katherine
Summary: Part Of the How It Should Have Been series. I wrote this last year.


Hard Times

One day Merlin was going home and a man asked Merlin for his dagger.

"Kind sir, may I borrow your dagger?" The man asked.

"Sure." Merlin answered. Merlin gave him it. Then the man left. Merlin was almost home when someone attacked him and left. He did not know who did it. Merlin got up and went home. He was in so much pain.

When Merlin got home Freya helped him into bed.

"Merlin, what happened?" Freya wondered.

"I was attacked." Merlin moaned. Morgana and Will were almost one and a half years old. They went to see Merlin. Morgana went to Merlin and he held her like he always did. Will came and gave Merlin a hug. Merlin knew that he was going to be all right especially with all the love he is given.

Then Merlin went to sleep. When they were asleep, some guards came in and took Merlin. Leon came in when Merlin had been taken away.

"Leon, what's going on?" Freya question angrily.

"Merlin has been accused of murder and being a sorcerer. Arthur had no choice. Merlin's dagger was found near the victim's body. I'm sorry. I know he didn't do it." Leon replied. Then Leon left. Malgwn, a friend of Arthur was helping. He said that Merlin killed Eleonore.

Merlin was taken before Arthur. Merlin had been beaten.

"My Lord, this man killed Eleonore and used magic to make himself invisible. He has lied about." Malgwn said.

"Arthur, I didn't do it. I was attacked on the way home. I don't know who did it but I do know that it was the same person who killed Eleonore." Merlin panted. Then Malgwn kicked Merlin. Merlin did not kill her. Malgwn did but used Merlin's dagger and left it there. So when someone found the body they blamed Merlin. He cried and begged for his life. He panicked but knew that Arthur believed him. Merlin was taken to a cell. The guards chained Merlin's hands above his head.

"Merlin, why don't you tell us the truth." Malgwn asked rudely.

"I am telling the truth." Merlin spat.

When he said that one of the guards took a whip and hit him. Merlin screamed in pain but he knew that he was going to see his family again which made him happy. For an hour, Merlin was whipped because he told the truth. When it was over, Merlin was in a lot of pain. Merlin's upper body was covered in whip marks. All of Merlin's wounds were bleeding.

"Taken him to his cell." Malgwn ordered. So the guards did. When they took him to the cell they beat Merlin. Then they threw him in the worst cell. They chained Merlin so he could do no harm. Merlin tried to get free but it did no good.

Then Malgwn came and gagged him.

"Don't try to do anything stupid, sorcerer." Malgwn said. When he left Merlin began to cry in pain. The gag was on tight. Freya held her kids and told them that everything was going to be fine. Arthur went to Merlin.

"I'm sorry, Merlin." Arthur sighed. Merlin knew why Arthur had to do it and knew that he was going to be fine.

Merlin tried to speak but couldn't. Then Arthur left. That night another woman was killed but Merlin was in the cell. The same dagger was used. About 15 people grabbed a stone, went and threw them at Merlin when he was asleep. He woke up in pain and tried to scream but could not with the gag on. The people mocked Merlin.

Then Arthur came and told the people to go.

"Merlin, did not kill that woman." Arthur sternly said.

The people said, "Kill him."

Gwaine and Percival said sternly, " We were guarding Merlin. All he was trying to do was sleep." Elyan came and went into Merlin's cell to help him. Arthur went in behind Elyan.

"Go back to sleep, Merlin." Arthur whispered. Merlin shook his head. He did not want to because he feared that he would die.

So the people left. Malgwn came and told the knights and Arthur to go to bed.

"You guys can go to bed now. I watch over him." Malgwn offered. So they did and Malgwn told Merlin to confess. Merlin said fearfully,"I didn't do it." Every time for the next week Merlin said that was whipped by Malgwn. He always panicked.

The next day Malgwn and Arthur were talking and Morgana kicked Malgwn in the leg. Everyone was shocked. Then Morgana spoke up and said angrily how much she loved her father and the kind of person he was. Malgwn bent down to talk to her just as Gwaine came in. Then Morgana punched Malgwn in the face.

Gwaine asked Freya, "What did you teach her? She has guts."

Freya said happily, "She's just like her father." That night Morgana was asleep and had a vision about what might happen. She woke up screaming. She told Freya her dream and that she was scared. Merlin woke up with the same nightmare. It was the second time he slept in 10 days. When he woke up he panicked and then began to cry because he knew what was going to happen.

Both times he woke up and wanted to scream. He was very weak, tired, hungry, thirsty, and in a lot of pain. Merlin was starting get very sick. Sometimes he tried to vomit but with the gag on it, made it very hard. He did not want to sleep because he always had nightmares.

He was very pale because of all the blood he lost. Later that day it was his trial. Malgwn and 2 guards came and abused Merlin. When they beat Merlin he would scream, and cry in pain. When he was brought before the court, he was having a hard time keeping awake. He also had a hard time breathing.

He was red, black, purple, pale,and blue because of his injuries. He would moan in pain. He also tried to pray to God that he would help him. They took the gag off him. Malgwn tried to get Merlin to speak.

"Confess!" Malgwn said.

"I didn't kill them. One night a man asked me for his dagger. The man was Malgwn." Merlin explained. Malgwn whipped Merlin and Merlin whimpered loudly.

"Merlin Ambrosius, I have no choice but to sentence you to death." Arthur tearfully said. Merlin knew why. When Merlin got back to the cell, the guards beat him, and put him in chains. They put the gag on tighter than before. When they left Merlin panicked, moaned, and cried knowing that he was going to die. Gwaine, Elyan, Percival, and Leon went to Malgwn's chamber. They found lots of evidence to prove that Merlin was innocent and was right. They were made that Malgwn tried to kill Merlin.

They told Freya, Gwen, Gaius, Arthur, Will, Morgana, and Lancelot what they found.

"We found books of sorcery. We also found Merlin's dagger." Gwaine explained. Before Merlin was executed he was beaten. He was in so much pain that he could not walk. He moaned in pain knowing that it would take a miracle to save him. Then Merlin was about to be executed but Arthur stopped it.

"Stop. Guards arrest Malgwn and take him to the cell." Arthur commanded. He was brought before the court."Malgwn, we have found evedeince in your chamber that proves that you killed the 2 girls." Arthur, Gwaine, and Freya took Morgana and Will to see Merlin.

When they got to him, he was almost unconscious. He was moaning in pain and was barely breathing. Freya told him to stay with them. Arthur tried to stop the bleeding. Morgana took the gag off him. They got him to Gaius and he checked and bandaged Merlin's wounds.

"How is he?" Freya wondered.

"He's very weak. He might not make it." Gaius answered.

Merlin was asleep for a few days because he was so tired. When Merlin woke up he was in a lot of pain. He was very sick and vomited a lot. One day, Freya asked Will and Morgana if they wanted to play with Lancelot. Will said yes and Morgana said no. So she stayed with Merlin. Lancelot told Will that Morgana was scared of getting hit. Merlin and Morgana talked about what happened. Merlin rested but he knew that he was going to die.

For the next week Merlin had a hard time breathing. He had a hard time sleeping. He was in a lot of pain. Freya always stayed with Merlin to help him calm down. He would wake up knowing that he was dying. He did not want to die so he tried to be strong. One day his breath began to leave him. He was in a lot of pain. He was still running a fever.

Gaius said sadly, "He only has a few hours left." Every one prayed that he would be fine. Then Morgana went and was going to sleep on Merlin. When she put her head on Merlin's chest, she revived him. When Merlin woke up he asked what happened. He knew that he was going to be fine so he smiled. She did not know how she did it. Freya, Gaius, Merlin, Will, and Morgana knew that she was a powerful druid.

Morgana said, "All I did was put my head on his chest and just hoped that when I wake up he would be fine." Merlin made a full recovery. In a few weeks he was up and about. Soon he was back to work. Merlin and Arthur argued as usual.


End file.
